Narrative sequences in political discourse
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Christoph Schubert
Abstract
In political speeches, narrative functions as a device that supports the fundamental persuasive intention by presenting an ideologically biased selection of past events. On the basis of this premise, it is possible to distinguish between four central functions fulfilled by political narrative (personalizing, integrating, exemplifying, and polarizing). Such effects are heightened by multimodal media, which provide political storytelling with additional possibilities in the form of hypermedia discourse. On websites such as www.number-10.gov.uk or www.whitehouse.gov, political oratory is integrated in hypertext frameworks of online narratives backing the superordinate function of persuasion. Such e-narratives appear in the form of politicians’ biographies, historical surveys, and so-called “photo essays”, visualizing stories by connecting words with images. Taking into account the multi-sequential character of online political storytelling, this paper investigates the ways in which e-narratives closely cooperate in the constitution of a complex master narrative.
Abstract
In political speeches, narrative functions as a device that supports the fundamental persuasive intention by presenting an ideologically biased selection of past events. On the basis of this premise, it is possible to distinguish between four central functions fulfilled by political narrative (personalizing, integrating, exemplifying, and polarizing). Such effects are heightened by multimodal media, which provide political storytelling with additional possibilities in the form of hypermedia discourse. On websites such as www.number-10.gov.uk or www.whitehouse.gov, political oratory is integrated in hypertext frameworks of online narratives backing the superordinate function of persuasion. Such e-narratives appear in the form of politicians’ biographies, historical surveys, and so-called “photo essays”, visualizing stories by connecting words with images. Taking into account the multi-sequential character of online political storytelling, this paper investigates the ways in which e-narratives closely cooperate in the constitution of a complex master narrative.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction. Narrative revisited 1
- Contextual constraints in CMC narratives 19
- The role of electronics in the perception of everyday narratives 39
- “Audacious, brilliant!! What a strike!” 57
- Once upon a blog ... Storytelling in weblogs 79
- "Neeed to put his out there (my story)": Narratives in message boards 109
- Narrative sequences in political discourse 143
- Small stories in political discourse 163
- Unpacking narrative in a hypermedia ‘artedventure’ for children 185
- Chain and choice in filmic narrative 213
- Film discourse cohesion 245
- Person index 267
- Subject index 271
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction. Narrative revisited 1
- Contextual constraints in CMC narratives 19
- The role of electronics in the perception of everyday narratives 39
- “Audacious, brilliant!! What a strike!” 57
- Once upon a blog ... Storytelling in weblogs 79
- "Neeed to put his out there (my story)": Narratives in message boards 109
- Narrative sequences in political discourse 143
- Small stories in political discourse 163
- Unpacking narrative in a hypermedia ‘artedventure’ for children 185
- Chain and choice in filmic narrative 213
- Film discourse cohesion 245
- Person index 267
- Subject index 271
